Written Answers Friday 30 May 2008

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Ballantrae, South Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Barr, South Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Barrhill, South Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Dailly, South Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Girvan, South Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Maybole, South Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Patna, East Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Dalmellington, East Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Rankinston, East Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Cumnock, East Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated journey time is for an ambulance travelling between Muirkirk, East Ayrshire, and Hairmyres Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The estimated journey times are set out in the following table.

  Estimated Average travel time to Hairmyres Hospital

  

 Ballantrae, South Ayrshire
 1 hr 40 minutes


 Barr, South Ayrshire
 1 hr 40 minutes


 Barrhill, South Ayrshire
 1 hr 45 minutes


 Dailly, South Ayrshire
 1 hr 20 minutes 


 Girvan, South Ayrshire
 1 hr 15 minutes


 Maybole, South Ayrshire
 1 hr


 Patna, East Ayrshire
 1 hr 5 minutes


 Dalmellington, East Ayrshire 
 1 hr 15 minutes


 Rankinston, East Ayrshire
 1 hr 5 minutes


 Cumnock, East Ayrshire
 50 minutes


 New Cumnock, East Ayrshire
 1 hr


 Muirkirk, East Ayrshire
 50 minutes



  Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

  These times are based on average driving conditions. Journey times may be longer or shorter depending on weather, traffic and the condition of the patient.

Ambulance Service

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence there is that ambulance travelling times to reach accident and emergency units have any impact on the survival rates of patients diagnosed with heart attacks.

Shona Robison: The evidence in SIGN Guideline 93 on Acute Coronary Syndromes is that those with the most serious heart attacks should be taken directly to a specialist intervention centre where they can be given a primary percutaneous intervention ("primary PCI"). There are better clinical outcomes for patients if the procedure can be performed within 90 minutes of diagnosis of the heart attack.

Architecture

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have local design review panels.

Stewart Stevenson: Architecture and Design Scotland has a national responsibility to carry out design review, generally on projects of strategic significance, and this is set out in Scottish Planning Policy 20 .

  It is for local authorities to determine the need for local design review panels and their scope and remit. The definition of what constitutes a local design review panel is thus open to interpretation. Currently, Glasgow City Council has a formal local design review panel which draws upon independent external expertise: City of Edinburgh Council has an internal design surgery, Scottish Borders Council has an internal peer review panel, and Dundee City Council has a design review panel for work specific to its waterfront regeneration project.

Central Heating Programme

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in which year the highest number of central heating systems was installed under the central heating programme since the programme started, combining figures for both private and public sector accommodation.

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the total number of central heating systems installed under the central heating programme in 2005-06 was higher than in 2006-07, combining the figures for both private and public sector accommodation.

Stewart Maxwell: There have been two separate programmes of central heating installation, one aimed at public sector housing and one at private sector housing. The public sector programme was completed by the end of 2004, with the exception of Glasgow Housing Association which, given the number of houses involved, was not completed until March 2007.

  The number of installations for each year in each programme is provided in the following tables.

  These show that the highest level of installations in the private sector was 2007-08. The highest levels of installations in the public sector programme was during 2003-04.

  

 Period
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Private Sector Installations
 3,560
 5,500
 10,200
 13,022
 14,053
 10,238
 14,377



  

 Period
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Housing Associations and Local Authorities Installations
 4,948
 5,715
 6,588
 2,720
 1,949
 4,156

Efficient Government

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the first revision of the delivery plans for the new Efficient Government Programme for 2008-11 referred to in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth’s opening address to the Finance Committee on 13 May 2008.

John Swinney: We have today published the second iteration of the Efficiency Delivery Plans which contains a disaggregation of the plans for the Education portfolio. Copies of the notes have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45688) and they are also available on the Scottish Government website:

  www.scotland.gsi.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/EDPMay2008.

Energy Efficiency

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in delivering the SNP manifesto commitment to ensure that there is a renewable capability in each public building.

John Swinney: Progress is being made on realising the renewable capability across the public sector in a number of ways:

  Through the Scottish Government’s "Leading By Example" programme we are ensuring all parts of the public sector play an exemplary role in pioneering new greener behaviours. Generating more sustainable low carbon energy through renewables is an important element of the programme.

  We have recently widened the Central Energy Efficiency Fund to allow public bodies to invest in renewable technologies.

  To ensure the public sector has better access to grants for renewables we are more actively promoting the UK Government’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme and we have increased funding under own renewables grants programme.

  We are introducing dedicated Schools Development Officers to support the deployment of renewable technologies in Scotland’s schools.

  The National Contract for Electricity is seeking to establish a national "feed in tariff" for public sector bodies who generate electricity from onsite renewables.

  Changes to the Energy Standards of Scottish Building Regulations and SPP6: Planning Guidance also encourage the use of renewable technologies in new public buildings to meet improved carbon emissions levels.

Finance

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcomes were of the scoping seminar held on 13 May 2008 to discuss arrangements for the distribution of funding from the UK unclaimed assets scheme; how much money is likely to be available in the current financial year, and what the reasons are for any delay in allocating this resource.

John Swinney: The purpose of the seminar was to discuss with key figures in the third sector how the consultation would progress on the purposes to which the proceeds of dormant bank accounts should be put and to have an early view on the kinds of issues likely to arise. A key outcome was that those present were keen to use the money in more innovative ways than straightforward grants and that no specific purposes emerged with substantial initial support.

  No funds are available in this financial year as the UK legislation which establishes the ways in which the funds will be collected from dormant bank accounts has yet to complete its UK parliamentary passage.

First Minister

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how officials handle a request from the First Minister for his views on a development application to be drawn to the attention of planning officials where the application is not in the First Minister’s constituency and what safeguards are in place to ensure that the normal procedures and arrangements used by officials for dealing with applications under planning legislation are not departed from when such a request is made.

Michael Russell: All civil servants are required to act in accordance with the terms of the Civil Service Code, and to conduct themselves at all times with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. The Civil Service Code is available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/civilservicecode/code.

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to monitoring the progress of polyclinics in England and their extension to Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: We have no plans to introduce polyclinics in Scotland. The Better Health, Better Care Action Plan , published in December 2007, sets out our objectives to improve access in primary care settings in Scotland.

  We are working with the existing model of general practice and the wider primary care team, including community pharmacy led services, to deliver these objectives in a way that is appropriate to Scotland’s needs.

Housing

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what decision it has reached regarding allocation of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme and what changes it intends to implement to Housing Association Grant in 2008-09.

Stewart Maxwell: The government expects to spend over £1.5 billion on affordable housing over the next three years and to approve construction of at least 21,500 units (6,000 in 2008-09, 7,100 in 2009-10 and 8,400 in 2010-11). The number of units over 21, 500 this will secure will depend on how successfully housing associations work with the government to secure more value from its investment.

  The funding allocated for 2008-09 is £493 million (including ring-fenced money allocated to Glasgow and Edinburgh Councils in the local government settlement). The provisional allocation by local authority area and other programmes is set out in the following table. This may change in the course of the year in line with normal programme management practice.

  

 Unitary Authority/Development Programme
Provisional Allocation (£ Million)


 Highlands and Islands
 


 Highland
 27.120


 Orkney
 5.033


 Shetland
 2.640


 Western Isles
 4.130


 Total
 38.923


 Grampian
 


 Aberdeenshire
 19.637


 City of Aberdeen
 3.922


 Moray
 6.372


 Total
 29.931


 Tayside and Forth Valley
 


 Angus
 3.890


 City of Dundee
 7.766


 Perth and Kinross
 10.886


 Clackmannanshire
 2.150


 Falkirk
 3.866


 Stirling
 3.476


 Total
 32.034


Lothian, Borders and Fife(excl City of Edinburgh)
 


 East Lothian
 4.400


 Fife
 13.133


 Midlothian
 3.400


 The Scottish Borders
 5.600


 West Lothian
 6.600


 Total
 33.133


 City of Edinburgh
 36.100


 South and West Scotland
 


Dumfries and Galloway
East Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
9.700
7.000
6.640
14.600
6.300
15.300


 Total
 59.540


 Argyll and Clyde
 


 Argyll and Bute
 14.757


 West Dunbartonshire
 7.835


 East Dunbartonshire
 5.386


 Inverclyde
 19.280


 Renfrewshire
 12.510


 East Renfrewshire
 3.271


 Total
 63.039


 Glasgow
 83.000


 Others
 


 GHA
 79.3


 Shared Equity Open Market 
 24.0


 Other Programmes
 14.0


 Total
 117.3


 Overall Total
 493.000



  The Scottish Government has decided to implement all the changes to Housing Association Grant on which it consulted earlier this year with immediate effect. Housing associations are being advised of this decision and guidance will be available this week on the Scottish Government’s website.

Lottery Funding

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much organisations in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency received in lottery funding last year, expressed also on a per capita basis.

John Swinney: Priorities for distribution of lottery funding in Scotland by the BIG Lottery Fund are set by Scottish ministers in policy directions made with the consent of the Secretary of State. In accordance with these priorities, decisions on distribution of lottery funds are made by the Big Lottery Fund, independently of Scottish Ministers. Information on such decisions is available from the Chief Executive, Big Lottery Fund, 1 Atlantic Quay, 1 Robertson Street, Glasgow G2 8JB, tel: 0141 242 1400.

Lottery Funding

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much organisations across Scotland received in lottery funding last year, expressed also on a per capita basis.

John Swinney: Priorities for distribution of lottery funding in Scotland by the BIG Lottery Fund are set by Scottish ministers in policy directions made with the consent of the Secretary of State. In accordance with these priorities, decisions on distribution of lottery funds are made by the Big Lottery Fund, independently of Scottish Ministers. Information on such decisions is available from the Chief Executive, Big Lottery Fund, 1 Atlantic Quay, 1 Robertson Street, Glasgow G2 8JB, tel: 0141 242 1400.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10197 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Environment in March 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Environment carried out 81 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in March 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 Argyll and Bute
 3


 Scottish Borders
 1


 North Ayrshire
 1


 Glasgow City
 1


 Perth and Kinross
 1


 Highlands
 2


 North Lanarkshire
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10197 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Environment in April 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Environment carried out 54 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in April 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 Glasgow City
 1


 Highland
 4


 Perth and Kinross
 1


 Stirling
 1


 North Ayrshire
 1


 East Ayrshire
 1


 South Lanarkshire
 1


 East Lothian
 1


 Aberdeen City
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10193 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Communities and Sport in April 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Communities and Sport carried out 55 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in April 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements


 Glasgow City 
 11


 Dundee City 
 1


 Stirling 
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10190 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Schools and Skills in March 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Schools and Skills carried out 63 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in March 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 Glasgow City 
 3


 Fife 
 2


 Dundee City
 2


 East Renfrewshire
 1


 Aberdeen City
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10190 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Schools and Skills in April 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Schools and Skills carried out 57 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in April 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 Aberdeen City
 2


 Perth and Kinross
 4


 Aberdeenshire
 1


 Glasgow City
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10189 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Children and Early Years in March 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Children and Early Years carried out 55 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in March 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 North Lanarkshire
 1


 Glasgow City
 2


 Stirling
 1


 Perth and Kinross
 2


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1


 Fife
 1


 East Renfrewshire
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10189 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Children and Early Years in April 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Children and Early Years carried out 41 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in April 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 North Ayrshire
 1


 South Lanarkshire
 1


 Stirling
 1


 Midlothian
 1


 North Lanarkshire
 1


 Glasgow City
 1



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10188 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in March 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning carried out 139 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in March 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 Fife
 1


 Glasgow City
 5


 East Renfrewshire
 1


 Perth and Kinross
 2


 Argyll and Bute
 1


 West Lothian
 2



  Note: The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10188 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in April 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning carried out 99 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in April 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 Stirling
 1


 Midlothian
 1


 Glasgow City
 4


 Perth and Kinross
 1



  The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10183 and S3W-10182 by John Swinney on 5 March 2008, how many official ministerial engagements were undertaken by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture in April 2008, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture carried out 68 ministerial engagements/meetings within Scotland in April 2008.

  

 Council Area
 Number of Engagements/Meetings


 City of Glasgow
 2


 East Lothian
 1


 Fife
 1



  The remaining engagements/meetings were held within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Mortality

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the standardised mortality rates were per 1,000 population for (a) Dundee, (b) Angus, (c) Tayside and (d) Scotland in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down also by deprivation quintile.

John Swinney: Standardised death rates per 1,000 population for individual local authority areas, and for Scotland as a whole, for 2006 are given in table 2 of Scotland’s Population 2006 , the Annual Report of the Registrar General, published by the General Register Office for Scotland in 2007, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43115). These figures also appear, together with rates for individual health board areas, in Vital Events Reference Table 1.3, which is available from the GROS Website via this address:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/vital-events/vital-events-reference-tables-2006/section-1-summary.html.

  The other information requested is given in the following table.

  Standardised Death Rates and Numbers of Deaths Registered in Scotland in 2006 - by Area1 and SIMD Quintile2

  

 
Standardised Death RatePer 1,000 Population3
Number of Deaths4,5


 SIMD Quintile
 Dundee
 Angus
 Tayside H.B.
 Scotland
 Dundee
 Angus
 Tayside H.B.
 Scotland


 1
 12.0
 12.4
 12.2
 14.2
 614
 99
 796
 13,349


 2
 11.0
 10.3
 10.9
 11.8
 429
 215
 815
 12,440


 3
 8.9
 9.9
 9.9
 10.6
 132
 308
 791
 11,304


 4
 9.7
 8.1
 9.2
 9.5
 225
 353
 1,324
 10,104


 5
 7.1
 9.9
 8.1
 8.0
 169
 218
 661
 7,896



  Note:

  1. Deaths of Scottish residents are counted on the basis of the addresses of their usual residences (as recorded when their deaths were registered); deaths of non-residents are counted on the basis of where they died.

  2. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is produced using a range of statistical information for each of the "datazones" in Scotland (which have 500-1,000 residents each). For Scotland as a whole, quintile 1 contains the most deprived 20% of datazones, and quintile 5 contains the least deprived 20% of datazones, when classified on the basis used for the SIMD. In the case of the other geographic areas, the figures for each quintile were produced from the data for the parts of those areas that are in each SIMD quintile - so the figures for (e.g.) quintile 1 of a particular area could have been produced from the data for considerably more (or less) than 20% of that area: it all depends upon what percentage of the area is in SIMD quintile 1.

  3. These figures were produced by using the distribution by age of the overall Scottish population for 2006. That is the same method as was used to produce the standardised death rates which appear in table 2 of Scotland’s Population 2006.

  4. The total number of deaths from which the standardised death rate was calculated. This may be small because only a small proportion of an area was in a particular SIMD quintile: if so, the standardised death rate for a single year might not provide a reliable indication of the normal level of mortality because there could be large year-to-year percentage changes in the number of deaths. For example, if a particular quintile tended to have around 100 deaths per year, it would not be surprising if its figures fluctuated by 10-20% between one year and the next.

  5. The sum of the figures for all the quintiles may differ slightly from the published total number of deaths for an area. There may be a number of reasons for this: for example, some of the datazones used in the SIMD might not fit properly within the boundary of the area, or corrections may have been made to some of the underlying data after the published figures were produced.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances a patient from Ayrshire diagnosed with a heart attack would be treated at Ayr Hospital’s accident and emergency (A&E) unit.

Nicola Sturgeon: Patients self-presenting to Ayr Hospital suffering from non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), or who are not appropriate for primary angioplasty, will be treated at Ayr. The most likely reasons for this will be a clinical decision based on co-morbidity and the patient’s wishes. Patients who become unstable in transit from their home may be stabilised in Ayr A&E before receiving further treatment.

  The development of a Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Centre at Hairmyres Hospital is an enhancement to the service currently provided in the West of Scotland. At present primary angioplasty treatment is only available for patients in the West of Scotland at the Golden Jubilee Hospital.

  It is also worth noting that had Ayr A&E closed, then no heart attack patients would have been treated there.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances a patient from Ayrshire diagnosed with a heart attack would be treated at Hairmyres Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Patients with suspected ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) will be triaged in the community by paramedics. ECG data will be transmitted via telemetry to Coronary Care staff to ensure that an accurate diagnosis can be made to identify appropriate patients for immediate transfer to the Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI) unit at Hairmyres Hospital.

  This is an enhancement to the service currently provided in the West of Scotland where primary angioplasty treatment is only available at the Golden Jubilee Hospital. It is also worth noting that had Ayr accident and emergency closed, then no heart attack patients would have been treated there.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the travelling times of ambulances transporting severe heart attack patients from rural South or East Ayrshire to Hairmyres Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Patients with an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and a transit time of less that 40 minutes will be taken directly to the Heart Attack Centre for Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI). This equates to all patients north of a line just south of Ayr, Coylton and Cumnock, or about 70% of the Ayrshire and Arran population. Patients beyond this boundary will receive thrombolytic therapy in the ambulance or at Ayr Hospital as appropriate and be transported to Hairmyres.

  This is an enhancement to the service currently provided in the West of Scotland. Where primary angioplasty treatment is only available at the Golden Jubilee Hospital. It is also worth noting that had Ayr accident and emergency closed, then no heart attack patients would have been treated there.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients diagnosed with severe heart attacks can receive life-saving emergency angioplasty treatment at Ayr Hospital.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients diagnosed with severe heart attacks can receive life-saving emergency angioplasty treatment at Crosshouse Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Coronary angioplasty is not available in either Ayr or Crosshouse Hospitals. Evidence suggests that better results from coronary angioplasty are obtained by dedicated teams in high volume interventional centres.

  The development of a Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Centre at Hairmyres Hospital is an enhancement to the service currently provided in the West of Scotland. At present primary angioplasty treatment is only available for patients in the West of Scotland at the Golden Jubilee Hospital.

  It is also worth noting that had Ayr accident and emergency closed, then no heart attack patients would have been treated there.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who decides which accident and emergency (A&E) unit a patient from South or East Ayrshire diagnosed with a heart attack is taken to for treatment.

Nicola Sturgeon: Ambulance staff transmit ECG data via telemetry to the Coronary Care Unit. Experienced Coronary Care staff will use this information to ensure that appropriate patients are identified for immediate transfer to the Percutaneous Coronary Intervention centre.

  This is an enhancement to the service currently provided in the West of Scotland where primary angioplasty treatment is only available at the Golden Jubilee Hospital. It is also worth noting that had Ayr A&E closed, then no heart attack patients would have been treated there.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran regarding the treatment of heart attack patients at Hairmyres Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with all boards and kept informed of developments.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has taken place with communities in Ayrshire regarding any decision to treat heart attack patients from South and East Ayrshire at Hairmyres Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The model for this service enhancement was developed by the West of Scotland Regional Planning Group for Cardiac Intervention, which is comprised of representatives of all west of Scotland boards, including the lead clinicians of the managed clinical networks (MCN). The MCNs all have significant patient representation whose views informed the decision making process.

  This is an enhancement to the service currently provided in the west of Scotland where primary angioplasty treatment is only available at the Golden Jubilee Hospital. It is also worth noting that had Ayr accident and emergency closed, then no heart attack patients would have been treated there.

  Patients transferred to Hairmyres Hospital will return to their local hospital the day after treatment to continue their recovery.

NHS Hospitals

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what services have been removed from each hospital since 1997.

Nicola Sturgeon: Subject to the need for ministerial approval of major service changes, NHS boards are responsible for the configuration and location of the services they provide to their local communities. The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Hospitals

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12608 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 May 2008, what the breakdown will be of the £135 million provided from within the capital allocation to NHS boards in each financial year for the New Southern General Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The breakdown of the £135 million provided from within the capital allocation to NHS boards in each financial year for the New Southern General Hospital is as follows:

  

2008-09(£ Million)
2009-10
(£ Million)
2010-11
(£ Million)
2011-12
(£ Million)
2012-13
(£ Million)
2013-14
(£ Million)
2014-15
(£ Million)
2015-16
(£ Million)
Total (£ Million)


 -
 -
 25
 25
 25
 30
 30
 -
 135



  Source: New South Glasgow Hospital, New Children’s Hospital and New Laboratory Build – Outline Business Case.

NHS Hospitals

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12608 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 May 2008, how much will remain in each year from the capital allocation after funding for the New Southern General Hospital has been excluded.

Nicola Sturgeon: The capital allocations available to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde following exclusion of the funding provided by the NHS board for the New Southern Hospitals Project, are as follows:

  

2008-09 
(£ Million)
2009-10 
(£ Million)
2010-11 
(£ Million)
2011-12 
(£ Million)
2012-13 
(£ Million)
2013-14 
(£ Million)
2014-15 
(£ Million)
2015-16 
(£ Million)
Total 
(£ Million)


 148.1
 129.0
 85.6
 84.6
 81.6
 76.6
 76.6
 106.6
 788.7

NHS Hospitals

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12608 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 May 2008, whether it will list the sources of anticipated capital receipts which NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will use to contribute funding for the New Southern General Hospital, and in which financial year each receipt is expected to be obtained.

Nicola Sturgeon: In arriving at a forecast of anticipated capital receipts, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has reviewed the entire range of sites within its ownership and identified those which it believes have potential to generate a capital receipt on account of disposal within the eight year period to 2015-16. This includes land at the following sites: Cowglen, Dykebar, Gartnavel Royal, Johnstone, Lenzie, Mansionhouse, Merchiston, Ruchill, QMH/Yorkhill, Ravenscraig, Stoneyetts, Victoria, Blawarthill, Broomhill, Hawkhead, Stobhill and a number of smaller sites currently within its ownership.

  The exact timing and final value of individual capital receipts will be dependent upon detailed negotiations, prevailing property market conditions and factors such as planning consent(s). The forecast value of £135 million contained within the Outline Business Case is considered prudent and achievable across the range of properties involved.

  The table a financial year summarises the anticipated phasing and level of receipts over the life of the New Southern Hospitals Project:

  

2008-09 
(£ Million)
2009-10 
(£ Million)
2010-11 
(£ Million)
2011-12 
(£ Million)
2012-13 
(£ Million)
2013-14 
(£ Million)
2014-15 
(£ Million)
2015-16 
(£ Million)
Total 
(£ Million)


 -
 10
 15
 25
 30
 18
 18
 19
 135

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline its current assessment of the Agenda for Change pay system.

Nicola Sturgeon: The current position is that assimilation of staff to the Agenda for Change pay system is on-going. At end April 2008 some 155,000 staff were on Agenda for Change pay bands. Some 9,000 substantive staff and 21,000 bank staff are still to be assimilated. The Scottish Government are working closely with the service to ensure assimilation is completed as soon as possible.

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to measure the efficacy of the Agenda for Change pay system and how and when it proposes to draw conclusions from its current assessment and take steps to address any perceived shortcomings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Agenda for Change is still in the process of being implemented in Scotland but is designed to ensure staff receive equal pay for work of equal value. It is also designed to support the improvement of all aspects of equal opportunity and diversity for staff and provides working patterns which are flexible and responsive to family commitments. Partnership arrangements are also in place to consider and address any issues arising from the implementation of Agenda for Change on an on-going basis.

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to deal with the issue of leapfrogging arising from the Agenda for Change pay system.

Nicola Sturgeon: Leapfrogging affects only a very small number of staff and can arise as part of the assimilation process. The current assimilation process in Scotland has been agreed in partnership following discussion between Scottish Government, staff representative groups and employers and there are no plans at present to amend the agreement reached.

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Agenda for Change was discussed during the recent meeting between Scottish and Welsh health ministers and, if so, whether (a) problems and (b) solutions of a common nature were identified.

Nicola Sturgeon: Agenda for Change was not discussed at the devolved health ministers meeting on 3 April 2008.

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to follow the lead of the Welsh Assembly Government by launching an independent review into the Agenda for Change pay system.

Nicola Sturgeon: Implementation of the Agenda for Change pay system in Scotland is still ongoing and as such there are no plans to launch an independent review at this stage.

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the recommendations of the independent review into Agenda for Change in Wales addresses matters of comparable concern to those experienced in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: The recommendations of the independent review into Agenda for Change in Wales was specific to Welsh implementation issues. In Scotland implementation is being taken forward in partnership and any issues arising are being dealt with using the appropriate partnership arrangements for such discussions such as the Scottish terms and conditions committee.

NHS Staff

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees with the recommendations of the independent review into the Agenda for Change pay system that took place in Wales and whether any of these recommendations could be implemented in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: The recommendations of the independent review into Agenda for Change in Wales was specific to Welsh implementation issues. In Scotland implementation is being taken forward in partnership and any issues arising are being dealt with using the appropriate partnership arrangements for such discussions such as the Scottish terms and conditions committee.

Planning

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the Proposed Modifications to Finalised Fife Structure Plan (2006) arising from the Re-appraisal of the Housing Land Requirement (2007) by Fife Council.

Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers are still considering the finalised Fife Structure Plan and the timing of an announcement on a decision will be dependent upon those considerations.

Police

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of policing in Tayside has been in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Kenny MacAskill: The Police Grant Aided Expenditure figures (£000) for Tayside for the last three years are as follows:

  

 2005-06
 76,393


 2006-07
 79,211


 2007-08
 81,187



  Note: Actual expenditure figures for each police force area are published in HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland’s annual reports.

Procurement

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all procurement by (a) local authorities, (b) NHS boards and (c) it takes account of the Fairtrade Foundation’s principles regarding employment and human rights.

John Swinney: Guidance has been issued to all public bodies in Scotland which explains how the principles of fair trade and ethical trading can be supported in public procurement, for example by working with suppliers after contracts have been awarded. Guidance has also been issued to all public bodies in Scotland on how to incorporate social issues into public procurement.

Procurement

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure the ethical procurement of its goods and services.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has issued guidance on fair and ethical trading to public sector buyers. Suppliers to the Scottish public sector are expected to maintain high standards of business and professional conduct e.g. in relation to legislative requirements on the environment, equal opportunities, race relations, health and safety, employment and taxation. Where bidders fail to comply with relevant legal obligations they can be excluded from competition on grounds of their unsuitability.

Road Safety

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12472 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2008, what steps have been taken to monitor (a) road safety and (b) pedestrian numbers on the stretch of the A76 between Cumnock and New Cumnock.

Stewart Stevenson: Monitoring of road safety on the A76 between Cumnock and New Cumnock is undertaken within Transport Scotland’s annual screening of trunk road accidents. As a result of the 2006-07 screening, an accident investigation and prevention study was commissioned by Transport Scotland for a length of the A76 between Auldgirth and Cumnock. The study identified one pedestrian injury accident between Cumnock and New Cumnock in 2005. Subsequent monitoring has identified a further pedestrian injury between Cumnock and New Cumnock in 2007.

  No monitoring of pedestrian numbers between Cumnock and New Cumnock has been carried out since the study referred to in the answer to S3W-12472.

Roads

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12472 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2008, how many pedestrians would require to walk on this route in order for the cost of providing a footpath to be considered value for money.

Stewart Stevenson: Pedestrian usage, both actual and potential, is only one aspect that is investigated when considering footpath provision. Other factors may include the relative engineering difficulty, environmental impact, estimated cost and relevant accident record. All these factors are considered in assessing value for money.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it now expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to be completed.

Stewart Stevenson: Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, it is expected that the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be open to traffic by the end of 2012.

Scottish Government Efficiency Savings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the implementation of revisions to international standards on auditing.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s Internal Audit Division works to Government Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) drawn up by HM Treasury in consultation with UK Departments, including the devolved administrations. That is set out in the Internal Audit section of the Scottish Public Finance Manual. The GIAS standards draw heavily on the standards set by the Institute of Internal Auditors – UK and Ireland, which forms part of the global Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) who set the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. Our internal auditors work closely with the IIA and the Treasury in the development, revision and application of the relevant standards, and as our primary training route is towards IIA qualifications, our audit staff are required to comply with the standards.

  With regard to the implementation of revisions to external audit standards, that is primarily a matter for the Auditor General for Scotland.

Scottish Government Efficiency Savings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been achieved through efficiency savings in its central expenditure for each directorate in the financial year 2007-08.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7948 on 8 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Student Finance

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in each parliamentary constituency paid the graduate endowment fee in (a) February 2007 and (b) February 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: In February 2007, 38 graduates paid the graduate endowment in full by cash. In February 2008, 34 graduates paid the graduate endowment in full by cash.

  These numbers are too small to provide a breakdown by parliamentary constituency without risking identification of individuals. Furthermore, insufficient postcode information is available for some cases to allow such a breakdown.

Voluntary Sector

Jack McConnell (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated benefit to the economy is of Project Scotland and whether ministers consider that benefit to be worth maintaining.

John Swinney: Volunteering placements provide a broad range of recognised benefits to the individual and the community. As these benefits are dependent on the volunteering placement itself, it is difficult to estimate the economic value of a facilitating organisation which does not directly provide volunteering opportunities, such as Project Scotland.

Water Charges

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to extend the eligibility for the exemption scheme on water charges for churches, charities and voluntary organisations.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to maintain the current exemption scheme on water charges for charities, churches and voluntary organisations from 2010 to 2014.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to extend the eligibility for the current exemption scheme on water charges to include churches, charities and voluntary organisations that moved into their premises after 1999.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its proposals following Paying for Water Services 2010-14: A Consultation on the Principles of Charging for Water Services.

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the draft charging statement on the water services charges exemption scheme.

Stewart Stevenson: The analysis of the Paying for Water Services 2010-14: Principles of Charging for Water Services  consultation ,  together with the draft Ministerial charging statement were published today, Friday 30 May 2008. A copy of the analysis and the statement will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45675 and 45676).

  The charging statement, which takes account of responses to the consultation, confirms the charging principles that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland will apply when determining water charge caps for 2010-14.

  The key features of the statement are:

  recognition of the importance customers attach to stability and certainty of charges;

  that the existing principles of charging: full cost-recovery, cost-reflectivity, geographical harmonisation of charges, phasing of increases and paying for increased local capacity are maintained until 2014;

  that the water services charges exemption scheme should be retained in its present form until 2014;

  that the commission will phase in any unwinding of cross-subsidies over the 2010-14 period, but may extend this over a further regulatory period, and

  that the maximum size of the capital programme should be around £2 billion.

  These principles are essential to ensuring that Scottish Water can continue to be successful and maintain its significant contribution to the government’s strategic objectives for Scotland. Ministers will finalise their principles in September 2009 following the publication of the commission’s draft charges determination for the 2010-14 period.